This invention relates generally to a mobile security system for mass transit vehicles in which multiple cameras capture a plurality of images that are integrated with sound and data of interest and saved to a storage device. The cameras continuously record images from a plurality of directions and points of view that are of interest in protecting the vehicle and the occupants of the vehicle, monitoring the interior of the mass transit vehicle, and providing a video, audio, and data record of events that are preset as trigger events, such as a collision.
Installing a camera in a security vehicle such as a patrol car is known in the art. Attaching a digital video recorder to capture video, audio and text is also know as is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,831,556, issued to Boykin et al. However, these systems are intended to provide a record of activities that are from a single point of view, that of the operator of the patrol car, that may be used later in evidentiary proceedings. The systems in the prior art do not address multiple points of view within and surrounding vehicles composed of multiple components, such as those composing a train, or that are more that 40 feet long. Prior art systems also do not address data streams integrated together to provide a complete picture of all activities occurring within the viewing envelope, a continuous record of all imagery, sound, and data for said envelope of interest, with all of the information stored in digital media for real time and after-the-fact viewing by interested parties, such as a transit supervisor or security expert.
The Improved Mobile Video Recordation System addresses the shortcomings in the prior art with innovations that develop and hold a defensive audio and video envelope for the protection and safety of the users of a mass transit vehicle. In addition, the imagery data, including audio and other types of data, is continuously recorded to a storage device, with higher quality video automatically stored as the result of a trigger event.
The present invention is an elegant solution to the problems inherent in systems that are designed as an adjunct to law enforcement activities and not intended for the broader needs of private companies and agencies charged with providing for the safety and security of users of all types of mass transit.